if they want colangelo gone because of his financial demands, that'd be a horrible sign for the future. Because, give or take, any GM in colangelo's class (i.e. elite) will ask for similar money. Going cheaper means taking a chance on somebody unproven or somebody who failed before and is willing to accept a sizeable paycut.

If they go cheap this summer, I'm done supporting the team until a owner who actually shows some signs of commitment to winning takes over.

if they want colangelo gone because of his financial demands, that'd be a horrible sign for the future. Because, give or take, any GM in colangelo's class (i.e. elite) will ask for similar money. Going cheaper means taking a chance on somebody unproven or somebody who failed before and is willing to accept a sizeable paycut.

If they go cheap this summer, I'm done supporting the team until a owner who actually shows some signs of commitment to winning takes over.

And such is the irony. Stinginess in order to rase the value on a sale could cause rightfully indignant fans to turn away, causing a decrease in the ultimate value of the sale.

And such is the irony. Stinginess in order to rase the value on a sale could cause rightfully indignant fans to turn away, causing a decrease in the ultimate value of the sale.

maybe the sale of the team is getting in the way of a GM extension or hiring, probably not, but the uncertainty of the ownership and a change could mean the new ownership would want new people at the top so BC's position is uncertain, maybe new ownership would not necessarily fire him but change his role to just GM and make a new president, which would mean his contract is drastically different so that's why the delay

Helpless feeling because it does not look like a long line of parties waiting to overpay and buy. Could be anyone from an owner like the Clippers to Mark Cuban.....or another investment fund. The slight ray of hope would be that they may be pricing too high. Another investment fund might see through it. The only ones that can get that kind of return on overpayment are media like Rogers and Bell. A small improvement.

If anyone knows Jim Ballsilie's coordinates, maybe we should all remind him that he can put exclusive access to Leafs and Raps games on his mobile devices and we all promise to subscribe.

will NEVER happen...he fucked up by trying to knock down the front door of a VERY exclusive "boy's club" (NHL)....imho he's not even on the "owners radar" anymore

7 coaches and 4 managers (5 if you want to include Embry's brief reign after Babcock) in 16 years
and now another change in management ?, philosophy ?, direction ?

clusterfuck indeed
this is getting even more pathetic than the Leafs' last 30 year history

I do wonder if this classifies as being over their heads, because he is not approaching some destiute owner and saying to sell to him. He would be buying shares of a corporation that just happens to include those teams. I'm not convinced they could stop that, unless one of those 2 leagues want to buy alll of MLSE to block it. It would be quite the coup. Also, the threat of him uprooting a team would be gone. The Kitchener-Waterloo Raptors?

I do wonder if this classifies as being over their heads, because he is not approaching some destiute owner and saying to sell to him. He would be buying shares of a corporation that just happens to include those teams. I'm not convinced they could stop that, unless one of those 2 leagues want to buy alll of MLSE to block it.

actually...that's a pretty interesting point
instead of an owner, he would be a majority owner
i don't know all the legal ramifications of such a transaction...but i can tell you that in all probability both leagues would fight him tooth and nail...he's pissed off way too many people in the last few years for that not to happen

besides...aren't we all fed up with a "Corporation" ownership...even if he buys in aren't we stuck with the same situation we have now ?
me personally...i want 1 owner for this team (or teams)

actually...that's a pretty interesting point
instead of an owner, he would be a majority owner
i don't know all the legal ramifications of such a transaction...but i can tell you that in all probability both leagues would fight him tooth and nail...he's pissed off way too many people in the last few years for that not to happen

besides...aren't we all fed up with a "Corporation" ownership...even if he buys in aren't we stuck with the same situation we have now ?
me personally...i want 1 owner for this team (or teams)

I don't think it would be the same because at last we would have a face. As it is now, you have the GM and coach to jump on, but other than that it is just layers and layers of corporate parasites. (I know, a bit strong)

The most spectacular thing I have seen for a franchise is just over in Buffalo where they just got an owner ($3 Billion rich) who loves sports and the Sabres, is out there, said he's wlling to spend immediately and will keep the team there.

As far as buying stocks, they'd have a hella trouble keeping him from doing it. This is a free market and I don't see too many people lining up to buy. If anything, you'd think blocking him from doing it could lead to those leagues facing a big time financial assult in a civil case. I think we'd have moved away from you can't play in our league sandbox to you can't buy free market stocks. If the money's right, even the Teachers Fund could become an advocate for Balsillie.

Hope this is not in the paper tomorrow as a rumor because it would take alll of his worth to do it.

The most spectacular thing I have seen for a franchise is just over in Buffalo where they just got an owner ($3 Billion rich) who loves sports and the Sabres, is out there, said he's wlling to spend immediately and will keep the team there.

couldn't agree more
he was a FANTASTIC addition to the NHL
worth approx $4.7 billion (US)...and more importantly was a Sabres' season ticket holder from 1980-98
he travels with the team on EVERY road trip...why?...because he loves the game
Buffalo hockey fans have to be ecstatic about their current situation

any other owner, corporate or individual, would be potentially a huge improvement over a pension fund. Of course there are corporate and individual owners have that have been as bad, or worse than our pension fund. But there's no way to see what happens here if things just stay the same. It's not going to matter who the GM is or anything else, until we lose the conservative bunch at the top. There will be a ceiling of mediocrity.

I'm still confused as to why some people are willing jump off of a cliff if BC isn't re-signed.... esp. considering the fact that we won 22 friggin' games this year and lost our only legit star (for nothing) last off-season.